1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a golf swing training device, and, more particularly, to a training device which is positionable on a golfer's following arm and contacts and limits movement of a golfer's forearm relative to the following upper arm during a backswing. The device prevents bending of the following arm elbow by more than 90 degrees and consequently causes the leading arm to remain straight.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
When swinging a golf club, and especially during the backswing, it is important for several reasons to control the movement of the following or power arm relative to the upper body. The following arm is the right arm for a golfer using a right handed club, and the left arm for a golfer using a left handed club. It is first important to properly position the following arm with respect to the golfer's body during the backswing to achieve maximum control and power of the head of the golf club. Improper positioning of the following arm results in erratic golf shots which significantly diminish the level and consistency of the golfer's game, and prevents the golfer from reaching his or her potential.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,028 to Harrison discloses a golf swing practice device which is directed to this problem. The device monitors the position and movement of the golfer's power arm with respect to the body during a golf swing. The swing practice device comprises an indicator which provides an audio or visual signal when the power arm moves away from the body by more than a predetermined distance.
A second problem associated with the movement of the following arm during a swing is bending of the following forearm with respect to the following upper arm by more than about 90 degrees during the backswing. Bending of the following arm elbow by more than 90 degrees necessarily causes bending of the leading arm elbow. Such bending is undesirable because the head of the golf club is misdirected during the forward portion of the swing and fails to strike the golf ball squarely. As a result, and the golf shot is projected toward some unintended location.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,587 to Manley discloses a golf club swing training brace for overcoming this problem which monitors the bend angle of the following arm elbow during a golf swing. The swing training brace comprises elongate upper arm and forearm components which are mutually connected by a pivot including an angle setting adjuster which abuts the upper arm component during a swing. The upper arm component, the forearm component, and the angle setting adjuster are each constructed of a rigid material which resists bending during the swing. The brace can be adjusted by manipulating the angle setting adjuster to limit the maximum bend of the following arm elbow to a preset angle to simulate a proper golf swing technique.
While the Manley swing training brace reduces the problem of excessive bending of the following forearm with respect to the following upper arm during the backswing, it is inadequate for several reasons. First, it is cumbersome to wear because it is large and extends along substantially the entire length of the golfer's following arm. In addition to it being unnecessarily large, it is also uncomfortable to wear because the upper arm and forearm components are rigid and limit the golfer's flexibility and consequently make it difficult to achieve a proper form during the swing. Third, the swing training brace upper arm and forearm components are sized to fit an average sized golfer. Accordingly, the brace would poorly fit golfers either much larger or smaller than the average size, and thus its usefulness is limited to a reduced number of golfers.